1. Field
Embodiments relate to timing alignment of remote radio heads (RRH) with macro base stations in overlaid macro cell heterogeneous wireless networks.
2. Related Art
Heterogeneous wireless networks (HetNets) are deployments of cells with differing coverage radii within a single geographic area. A typical configuration is one where macro (e.g., large) cells provide contiguous coverage over the area while pico, femto or metro (e.g., small) cells cover smaller areas that are associated with either traffic hot spots or coverage holes. When both the macro cells and metro cells share the same carrier frequency, the deployment is called a co-channel or shared-carrier deployment.
For example, a HetNet may include macro base stations (BSs) and metro BSs. Macro BSs provide wireless coverage for user equipment (UEs) within the macro cells which may cover large geographical areas, while metro BSs may provide wireless coverage for UEs located in the metro cells which may cover smaller geographical areas within the coverage area of a macro BS. Parameters needed to configure BSs within HetNets include patterns for and allocation of an almost blank subframe (ABS).